Faced with a very ordinary question from Bei Qinghuan, the previously excited Ye Xiaoyun became coy and stammered:
“It’s not a family member… just a very important person. Um… when you’re giving him acupuncture, you should wear a mask and dress up… uh, like a very traditional Old Chinese Medicine Doctor.
Then, I’ll say you’re a doctor I specially invited, that I had to ask many times before you agreed to come, so he’ll feel indebted to me. Oh, and you don’t have to talk—no, you absolutely must not talk. That’s not right either. You should talk as little as possible! Saying less makes you seem more formidable!
Then you can examine him first. If you think you can cure him, you can tell me quietly. If you’re not confident, don’t tell him right away. Just say you need to perform a few more sessions. How about it?”
Bei Qinghuan was speechless.
Was this healing or harming?
Who does things like this!
Bei Qinghuan, who had been nonchalant just a moment ago, grew serious.
“Xiaoyun, thank you for your trouble today. I can treat you to a meal at a restaurant another day, and I can even pour out the alcohol I took to return it to you. But saving lives is no joke. If I can treat him, I definitely will.
If I can’t, then I must make it clear to him. It’s wrong to delay someone’s treatment. Who exactly is this person to you? So secretive, and you even want me to pretend to be an Old Chinese Medicine Doctor. I can’t do it. If you don’t explain clearly, I’m not getting involved.”
“You!” Ye Xiaoyun’s face flushed, and she looked very troubled, but she finally confessed, “It’s nothing, really. It’s someone I… respect. Uh, alright, alright, there’s no harm in telling you. It’s just someone I… have a little crush on. I just… Aiya, Huanhuan! I genuinely want to help him, and of course, I also want him to come to the infirmary a few more times. Just tell me, will you help me or not!”
Bei Qinghuan was at a loss for words.
But she could sort of understand.
It must be some young man from the factory.
To think that the carefree girl from her childhood would now resort to such schemes for a man she liked.
“Alright. But first, give me a general idea of his condition so I know what to expect.”
Ye Xiaoyun’s eyes lit up.
“He was injured in the army, and now his arm hurts whenever it rains. I always give him a very small dose of painkillers, so I’m guessing he’ll definitely come to the infirmary today. I happened to see you cleaning the needles and suddenly thought that maybe you could give him acupuncture or something. Ahem, I sincerely want to cure him, really and truly!”
So he was a demobilized soldier.
She had originally planned to charge a small consultation fee to help with her family’s expenses, but now she couldn’t bring herself to mention it.
Bei Qinghuan nodded. “Alright. I’ll come over tomorrow then. If it’s really as you say, it’s not a difficult problem. With a few more acupuncture sessions, I’m ninety percent sure I can fix it.”
“I knew you were the best!”
Ye Xiaoyun leaped three feet in the air.
Just as she was about to say something more, someone knocked on the door outside.
“Dr. Chen? Dr. Ye? Is anyone there?”
Ye Xiaoyun answered and poked her head out to look. She suddenly rushed back in and hugged Bei Qinghuan, her face flushed with excitement.
“He’s here, he’s here! I’ll go talk to him and tell him I’m introducing an Old Chinese Medicine Doctor to him. Don’t leave, in case I need you! You, you, you, quickly put on the white coat, wear a mask, and your hair, your hair, quick, wrap it up!”
She fluttered out like a butterfly, even closing the door behind her.
The newly appointed “Old Chinese Medicine Doctor” Bei was overcome with curiosity and couldn’t resist cracking the door open to peek.
Two men.
The tall, lean back of the man in front flashed past as he entered the inner consultation room. The one behind him happened to turn his head, revealing a dark-complexioned face.
This man had a thick stubble and eyebrows, a square jaw, and looked to be in his thirties.
But his hair stood up stiffly, and he wore a military casual uniform with a Sam Browne belt cinched at his waist. He was very tall and burly.
Ye Xiaoyun followed behind them, speaking in a syrupy-sweet voice, “Representative Jing, is your arm hurting again? Aiya, the rain yesterday was too heavy. You know, like I told you, your condition is best treated with Chinese medicine. By the way, I know an Old Chinese Medicine Doctor whose techniques are excellent. You see…”
She followed them into the inner consultation room.
Her voice became indistinct.
But…
Representative Jing?
Bei Qinghuan frowned.
No way, Ye Xiaoyun was into this type?
So old!
Well, to each their own.
After all, he was a Military Representative, a regimental-level cadre.
And most importantly, he wasn’t bald yet.
Bei Qinghuan shrugged, put on the white coat Ye Xiaoyun had tossed her, donned the mask, wrapped up her hair, and waited for her friendly cameo.
In the end, less than five minutes later, Ye Xiaoyun came in with a long face.
Bei Qinghuan said, “I’m ready at a moment’s notice.”
Ye Xiaoyun replied, “Forget it. He said the one thing he doesn’t believe in is old Chinese medicine doctors! I came in to get some painkillers.”
Bei Qinghuan was speechless.
Why did she suddenly feel like laughing?
This Representative Jing had high standards, huh? A rough-and-tumble man like him looked down on someone as young as Ye Xiaoyun?
Bei Qinghuan couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “My friend, this time it’s really not my fault for not helping. I’ll be going then.”
Ye Xiaoyun said dejectedly, “Yeah, go on. Come visit me when you have time.”
Bei Qinghuan casually pointed to several empty saline bottles nearby. “Can I take these?”
“Just don’t take all of them.”
Bei Qinghuan took three, put them in her bag, and left.
The mask was made of gauze, a rare commodity. Since she had already worn it, she might as well just wear it home.
When she reached the public restroom at the corner, she saw a faucet and stopped to wash the bottles.
Right now, only her mother had a stable income. It was good to save a little water for the family.
She had just finished washing one when she saw the fierce-looking man she had run into at No. 3 Compound yesterday coming out of the infirmary.
Today, he was wearing a full military casual uniform, which made him look even more handsome and stern than yesterday.
He really was Representative Jing’s orderly. He was the one who had accompanied Representative Jing just now.
If she hadn’t heard Ye Xiaoyun sweetly call the other man Representative Jing, Bei Qinghuan would have definitely thought that this was the one Ye Xiaoyun liked.
But her dear Xiaoyun had her priorities straight—she didn’t look at faces, she looked at rank.
Thinking about how Ye Xiaoyun had been scheming for a man just now, Bei Qinghuan felt that she should still help her friend if she could.
Most importantly, a client like this should be quite wealthy, right?
She couldn’t bring herself to quote a price to Ye Xiaoyun, but why be polite with Representative Jing? It was only right to earn some money!
Bei Qinghuan raised her hand and called out, “Hey, Comrade Orderly, come over here for a second.”
Jing Xiao, who was leaving in a hurry, was baffled. “…???”
He even glanced back.
There was no one else around.
He was sure Bei Qinghuan was calling him.
Looking closer, he recognized her as the girl who had delivered the side dishes yesterday.
He recognized her eyes and her voice.
Her mother had delivered side dishes again today.
Only, she had given them to the orderly Chen Erhuai, thanking him profusely. Without giving him a chance to refuse, she had shoved the jar of side dishes into his hands and left.
Chen Erhuai had nearly died laughing, saying that the auntie must have mistaken him for the representative back when they helped carry her to the infirmary.
But at the time, wanting to do a good deed without leaving their names, neither of them had clarified before leaving.
He didn’t know who Yan Guifang had asked, but she had ended up mistakenly believing that Chen Erhuai was the Military Representative.
It was most likely because of Chen Erhuai’s full beard that day, which made him look a bit older.
This was truly a mother-daughter pair, uniquely and unanimously mistaken.
However, having accepted their food, he couldn’t be completely rude. He had to show them some courtesy.
Jing Xiao strode over on his long legs. “What is it?”